End of Chapter 32

Elysian swallowed, eyes widening, eyes hot. The scientist's words rang in his ears. A willing Alpha would break the curse of the Lonely. And right now, with her eyes bright with tears, she would do that for them. He could nudge her to it, he could push her to the end. And yet, all this pain, all this suffering, the crack of his heart shattering into pieces—

He would die.

And his mouth opened. His decision was made.

"Will you be my mate?"

"W-what?" she blinked, her confusion was stark, horrified. Her breath caught in her throat. But his confidence grew.

"If you claim me and I claim you, you will be ours. You will mine," he whispered. "He will be stronger with that in your blood, with pack in your blood. Icarus and I will only require a gulp a day. Our Omegas will know what to do. It will mend itself with its Alpha, it will speed up the healing. It will know not to kill you."

"You speculate." She gasped weakly. "You can't be sure."

"It's the truth," he answered. "It is like a babe needing the antibodies in its mother's milk when he is ill. A vampire will heal quicker with his true mate's blood. It used to work with the others. Before our bodies started rejecting the blood of an Omega. But a pack mate's blood rejuvenates, it nourishes, it heals. The first bite, the first claim has always been the richest blood I've ever tasted in my life. It rejuvenates me for mating, for breeding. I need to be strong after a claim, and I will be."

He didn't mention the truth, that Elysian wasn't sure if this could be the answer. Alphas never allowed an Omega a claiming bite, and their records had mere whispers of myths and half-truths. He'd read stories of miracles, but the truth was Elysian only wanted her to claim him because it would mean borrowed time.

They couldn't kill her if she were to be claimed by him. And they wouldn't touch her knowing that the mating was fresh, new. They couldn't abuse her knowing that his Omega would break feeling every blow, every pain. She'd be safe until he was healed. And that could buy her time— time to think, time to leave. At the very least, he was certain of that.

"Quinn, please."

"You're not sure." She saw right through him. "You're only making your guesses. You do not know if it will work. You are afraid."

"It will."

"Icarus is just an excuse," she murmured.

"He will agree to this."

"Don't," her eyes were filled with tears. "Do you understand what this means for you? You hate me."

"Do I look like I hate you?" he whispered, and she went quiet. "I'm willing to risk it." For you. "But you must be prepared to run right after."

"Run?"

"If things go south and if I die and Icarus dies," he replied. "You must run. I know how smart you are, and how resourceful. I know that you have tricks up your sleeve. You could do it if you wanted to. You could leave."

"Elysian, you're insane." And maybe he was, his smile grew.

"I'm sorry." He closed his eyes, exhausted. "You will have to bite me as I bite you. The guards might stop you if they know. If the claim is incomplete, it will not work."

"This is insanity," she mumbled. "You're risking everything for—"

"A chance," he closed his eyes. When had he started to choose her over his mates? But determination was set hard in his brows. No, there was no choice. No, them over her. The truth was his mates needed her just as much as he did. And her death, her sacrifice would break them all. This was the easiest way.

"Why?"

Elysian didn't know why; he couldn't possibly understand why they needed her happy. Not after killing so many, taking all those lives for the greater good. But in that moment of weakness, of his body inching towards death, clarity burned in his mind. The decision was so easy it was like breathing air. His heart was clear. He sighed, ignoring her question, leaning against his pillow.

"Elysian, why?"

"Lean closer to my neck as if you're whispering to me, then take a bite as quickly as you can." He did not want to answer her. "I'll do the same to your shoulder. We will have to be fast before they turn on that collar. If it shocks me, they will stop the electrocution, they will not kill you."

"Elysian." She blinked, realisation flickering over her face, tears dripping down her cheeks. Her defences weakening. She sobbed. "You know."

And he stared then, understanding the tremor in her hands. The retreat of his mates, the quiet hum, the soldiers. She was waiting to die. They were going to kill her the moment she stepped out of the door, shock her heart and feast on the quivering flesh. She was right at the guillotine, and she had not said a single word about it, had only promised to help him.

And it was all his fault.

He flinched, and suddenly terror roared, a bucket of cold water jolting through his veins. He twisted on the bed, rising, his eyes burned. "Let me do this for you," he begged. "Please, before they kill you for us. It's not what we want. We protected you for a reason, I—" his breath wheezed. "I won't be able to live, knowing what I survive on—"

"You're crazy," her eyes were dripping. "I didn't see it in you, what a good person you are. How kind you can be. I…I believed all you wanted from me was blood, my happiness because it would make me taste better for your mates. I thought you were selfish and only thought of me as food. I thought you only cared for me because you needed me."

"I am and I do," he answered honestly, heart thundering. "I am so selfish that I want to drink from you when you are at your sweetest. I want you when you are happy and healthy. I haven't had a bite from your neck ever since that day, and you weren't sweet then. You tasted awful." She laughed, a smile growing on wet cheeks.

"Icarus won't like this," she whispered.

"He will understand," Elysian answered with a shake of his head. "If he were awake, he might do the same. But he'd do it spitting curses at you about how stupid you are."

She giggled. "He will." Then paused. "Your mates won't like this."

"Please," he whispered. "This is my choice."

"If you're sure."

"I am. I beg of you."

And she leaned closer, sinking her teeth into his neck just as her blood filled his mouth, sweeter than sin, more glorious than ambrosia, than honey, than love. He moaned and drank so deeply that it warmed his belly and his heart. And around them alarms rang, the collar around her neck sparking to life and then dying with the crush of his fingers around the metal clasp.

And Elysian sealed his fate for good.

A/N: Read ahead on

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